The Intelligence Theory
by xxBatteri
Summary: Yuugi must use his superior hacking skills to take down the three corporations competing for world domination. Cyberpunk AU, no pairings.  Season 0 personalities.
1. It Begins

AN: I decided to write an AU Cyberpunk fic for YGO, because Cyberpunk is such an under-appreciated genre.  
>Although I don't normally use their Japanese names, I did for this fic to give it more of a sense of realism. I also pulled some aspects from both the English and Japanese versions to help it flow more smoothly. You'll see this more later on.<br>Also, I'm pretty sure there aren't going to be any shippings in this.  
>If there are any mistakes, please feel free to message me about them and I will try to fix them right away! Enjoy!<p>

Edit: I just found a spelling error in Jou's name. I apparently entered it into my computer wrong, and it began to auto-correct it to the wrong spelling. Sorry about that! It is now fixed.

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><p>Yuugi felt his heart begin to race as he leaned his face closer to the computer monitor. He just burst through another one of KaibaCorp's firewalls, and it wasn't proving to be an easy task. His skin had an eerie blue glow from the screen as he sat alone in the dark room, eagerly surfing through and evading various protection programs. His head flew back as he was hit by one, causing a surge of pain to run up and down his spine from the connection at the base of his neck, but he wouldn't let that pain stop him. His situation may have scared him to death, but it was the awesome surge of adrenaline that came along with it that kept him going strong. He quickly regained his old pace, diving deeper and deeper into the foreign mainframe systems. It was this old rush that he had almost forgotten, but it still remained a piece of him that sometimes nagged him in the back of his brain, longing for the intense sensations that it brought. Hacking had been a secret talent of his ever since he was taught by his father and grandfather as a small child. He became quite good at it, but was forced to retire his skill once the Kaiba Corporation outlawed it. Ever since the takeover, he had kept his skill a secret, hoping that no one could ever find out and take him away like he had heard happen too many times. Unfortunately for him, he had his secret unearthed against his will long before he planned to.<p>

It wasn't long before he found himself being backed into a dark corner by two of his peers where no one could reach them. He could still remember that day well. Somehow, they had found out about his talent and decided to confront him about it. They were very violent at first, and shoved him into an ally that they were forbidden to venture to after school hours. He began to sweat at the thought of the corporation finding out about their location, and it made his knees weaker to even think that the two teenagers in front of him and holding him down could be working for the corporation. Nervous thoughts buzzed around his head, making him lightheaded. He just wanted to go home and do his schoolwork like a good citizen should. He wanted to follow the rules and do what was asked from him. He was terrified of the consequences if he did not. It was hard to recognize the boys at first, but once they spoke, he could tell who they were instantly.

"Jounouchi? Honda?" Yuugi whispered. He tried in vain to hide his fear, but he knew he was failing. One of them instantly shushed him, and Jounouchi lowered his head to Yuugi's level as Honda cautiously looked around.

"Do you want to get caught?" Jounouchi whispered angrily. Yuugi shook his head.

"That's what I thought," Jounouchi responded. "Now we need to make this quick." Honda turned back and nodded to his partner, letting him know that the coast was clear for now.

"Word on the street's that you're quite the hacker," Honda whispered. A shiver ran down Yuugi's spine. How could they possibly know? He never told anyone about it before.

"Who told you?" Yuugi asked in a hushed voice. It seemed as if his voice was fighting against him, and his words refused to come out as smoothly as he had hoped.

"That's not important now," Honda said. "Are you or are you not?"

"I... I used to be pretty good at it, but I haven't done it in a while," Yuugi said. "Why do you want to know?" The two boys looked at each other, and seemed to have a silent conversation through their eyes.

"Good enough," Honda whispered. Jounouchi tossed him aside and began to walk away. Honda leaned in one last time and said, "meet us here the same time tomorrow. And don't tell anybody, you got that?" Yuugi nodded, and Honda walked off with Jounouchi, leaving the small boy alone in the dark.

He originally questioned it, but finally decided to do what he was told and just hoped with every fiber in his body that he wasn't being set up for anything. Luckily for him, the boys showed up soon after he did, and gave him a tiny piece of paper. Yuugi looked at the small, ripped sheet in his hands; Japan hadn't used paper in years, and he barely remembered what it felt like. He looked at the messy writing on it, which was also something he wasn't used to seeing outside of History class. They told him quietly to keep a low profile, and to follow the directions they had written carefully, and to contact them when he was done. It was then when he felt a strange sensation of both fear and protection: a fear of the possible future, and an odd sense of safety from the fact that he didn't seem to be in any danger at the moment. Although they scared him, Jounouchi and Honda had a certain aspect to them that made him feel safe and almost guarded. He agreed and ran back home before the Drones could find him still out on the streets. He kept the piece of paper safely in his pocket.

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><p>He wasn't hacking for fun anymore. He wasn't hacking for the rush or the sweet wave of pride after a job well done. This time, he was hacking for answers, and this time, more than usual was at risk. The fear only seemed to motivate him more, and seemed to increase his already advanced skills. He was almost to the solution now; he could feel it getting closer. Just one more server and he was through. Suddenly, something stopped him, but this time, he didn't feel a surge of pain like the last time he was caught by a program. This time, he felt a strange feeling of warmth creeping up from the jack imbedded deep in his spine, radiating throughout the rest of his body like waves crashing over him. Stunned, he was unable to move, as if the warmth had paralyzed him. Suddenly he jerked back and gasped against his will, and he was able to move once again. However, he chose not to, as if something inside of him was trying to tell him something.<p>

_...While you still can_, he felt something say. _Back out now. They're coming._ Shocked, Yuugi didn't know what to do. However, his instincts were telling him to do just as the feeling said. Quickly and without thinking too much first, he reached back behind him and yanked the plug from the jack embedded within him. A sharp pain attacked the area; he had not prepared the jack for a proper disconnection yet, and his body was punishing him for it. Trying to ignore the pains, he turned the monitor off and erased all evidence of what he did. He could still feel his heart rapidly pounding in his chest. He didn't get what he was looking for, but yet a strange sense of pride wash over him. He still had it in him.

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><p>The sound of his quickened breaths was all he could hear as Yuugi crouched as silently as he could in his dark basement. He then began to hear the horrible sound of his mother sobbing loudly from upstairs and the voice of his grandfather trying to comfort her. He tightly shut his eyes, subconsciously hoping that his loss of sight would somehow drown out the sound. After what seemed like an eternity, he peaked out from behind the staircase and stood hunched over in an attempt to stretch out his short legs. Gathering the courage, he straightened out a little more. He couldn't hear the Drones anymore. He quietly walked over to the small window in the basement wall and peered out. They seemed to be gone, at least for now. He sat down on a box and folded his arms on his lap. Even if the Drones were gone, he still wasn't safe. The Kaiba Corporation was onto them now, and he couldn't help but feel that it was his fault. They had tracked him down after all. He wasn't sure what happened, but he was unable to feel relieved that they never got him, because it was all weighed down by an overwhelming sense of guilt. He could only think of bad thoughts as every single worst case scenario ran through his head. Why did he ever agree to do this? He knew that only bad could ever come of it, and he hated himself for ever thinking otherwise. Something terrible happened up there, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out what it was.<p>

It was hard to tell how much time had passed after that, but after what felt like an eternity, he heard the heavy creak of the old basement steps. He looked over and saw his grandpa.

"They got him," he said. Yuugi felt his heart drop inside of him. He couldn't mean... Tears began to flow from the small boy's eyes, and he put his head down to hide his face. His father was gone, and it was his fault.

He only wished he had the confidence to get him back.

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><p>That night, Yuugi sat on the edge of his bed, thinking of all the terrible things that had happened since the takeover in Japan. He closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face, slightly pressing his fingers against his temple. He had to make this right again. He wasn't sure how, but ever since he began to hack again, and ever since that warm feeling he felt, he wasn't able to shake the feeling that he had the power to do something for once, as if there was now some sort of greatness living inside of him. He never felt that way before, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, the feeling just came back, sometimes even stronger than before. He stood up. There was only one thing to do at this point, and that was to take the first step. He had missed it before, but now it was as if everything was so much clearer. Silently, he approached the screen that he tried to ignore since the last time he entered it's evil grasp. It was a strange feeling; it was almost as if he wasn't even in control of his body anymore, as if his overwhelming feeling had finally taken him over completely. He reached for the cord and cringed as he plugged the device in, painfully feeling himself become one with the mechanism once again. He pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and began to finish the job that he never did.<p>

Suddenly, every false move he made before became completely obvious. He began to wonder how he had ever made those mistakes before, and after a while, he started to wonder why he had such trouble the first time. He surfed through the systems and broke through protection programs with great ease, giving him a newfound sense of bliss. He felt one with the machine, and it felt wonderful. Soon, in much better time than before, he had broken through. He quickly scribbled the answers he was looking for down on the piece of paper and disconnected himself before he could be caught again. A sense of pride in a job well done washed over him, and he leaned back in his chair after safely removing the plug from his jack. he would have to share his information with the boys the next day.

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><p>Yuugi stood at the entrance of the school with his arms open so the school staff could check him for any unauthorized materials. Like every other day, he was cleared almost instantly, allowing him to move into the main lobby of the school and causing the line behind him to bump up to the kid behind him. The school system hadn't checked for paper in years. Without hesitation, he headed straight to class. He walked into the small room and took his seat with a few others that were already in the room. The room was silent. The teacher sat in his desk perfectly still, facing all of the students. With a cold, emotionless stare, he looked at the teenagers constantly, analyzing each one carefully for any thread of misbehavior. Yuugi sat uncomfortably, feeling the paper up in his pocket. He wasn't completely in the clear, but his record remained clean, and most of the staff would pay less attention to the students who did not cause trouble. After a few more of his classmates entered the room, he saw Jounouchi enter as well with his hands shoved in his pockets. He admired him for his constant strong, cool composure. Like the others, Jounouchi stared straight ahead.<p>

When the time came for lunch, the students got up in an orderly fashion and left the room in a straight line. Jounouchi slowly packed his things and stood in front Yuugi in line. Quietly, they walked to the lunchroom and stood in the line to buy their lunches.

"So... how'd you do on the homework last night?" Jounouchi whispered, slightly looking over in Yuugi's direction. Yuugi nodded his head and replied at the same hushed volume, "pretty well. I did much better than I thought I would." Jounouchi smiled.

"I knew you would," he said. Yuugi reached into his pocket and stealthily slipped him the paper. Jounouchi quickly grabbed it and shoved it in his pocket before anyone could see. He never looked back in Yuugi's direction as they both got their lunches, paid, and sat down at their respectable tables. Yuugi sat alone.

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><p>From another part of the cafeteria, Anzu sat with a group of her friends, quietly chatting with one another. A nearby monitor, hired by KaibaCorp to keep the school in order, stood still and scanned the room, keeping the girls at a low whisper. She paused slightly and looked over to see Yuugi sitting by himself. She always felt so badly for the boy, and she recently found out that the corporation came to his house just the other day. She never knew what it was like to be in his position, and deep down she was glad she didn't, no matter how much she hated to admit it. She looked back over to her friends, who were still busily talking amongst themselves, and then looked back up at the monitor. She couldn't move; he would surely see her and force her to sit back down again. She would have to find a way to talk to Yuugi another time.<p> 


	2. Home Again

AN: Hello again! I know this is a really fast update, but that's mainly due to the fact that I had this already written when I submitted chapter 1, and I just had to revise it a little before uploading it. I will try and update as fast as I can, but some days I just can't write for anything, so please be patient.  
>Like I said last chapter, you'll realize that I did pull a few things from the English version, such as Bakura being from Britain.<p>

I hope you enjoy!

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><p>As the jet finally took off, Ryo Bakura breathed a long sigh of relief. He looked out the window and watched Domino city slowly disappear from view. He couldn't help but to smile at the realization that he was almost free from that hell. His plan was working much better than he had thought it would, and a slight feeling of joy crept up in his chest, living alongside the constant nervousness that he had gotten so used to. Even though he wasn't completely safe yet, he felt so much more at ease now as he saw the city grow further away from him.<p>

It was strange how much even a simple wardrobe change could affect a person. For many years, he was forced to wear the standard Kaiba Corporation uniform just like everyone else in Japan. The uniforms seemed to suffocate him, draining him of feelings other than dread and misery, making him feel like the Drone that he was. Now, as he wore a white trench coat with matching pants and a shirt, he felt like a new man. He felt like himself again, just like the boy he was before he and his mother took that dreaded trip to Japan so many years ago.

A trip seemed like a good idea at the time. He was a fairly young boy at the time, and his mother took him to Japan in an attempt to strengthen the relationship between them. They would have never guessed that Japan would lock down during the short week that they were staying there. It was the week that the Kaiba Corporation successfully overthrew Japan's government; it was the week where everything changed. When the corporation took over, it was as if any freedom the people once had was sucked away from them completely. Uniforms were issued. Airports were shut down. Everywhere he turned, an employee hired by KaibaCorp - people who were quickly nicknamed as "Drones" on the street - was standing by, watching the public's every move. Things quickly spiraled downward as the company's power increased. Everything was owned by the corporation, and everyone was forced to become a full employee. Rules were issued and people were tagged, limiting the public even more than before. The more power they got, the more uncomfortable living there was. Growing up, Bakura knew that he couldn't go on living there. He had to find a way back to his homeland of Great Britain.

The year the heir to KaibaCorp took over was the year that Bakura's mother died. The only family he had left was still in Britain, and he had lost contact with them since the trip. Out of fear of being taken away by the Drones, Bakura found his way into KaibaCorp's computer system. He gave himself a fake identity so he was able to merge into society better than he had before. Starting fresh, he was free to start a new life for himself. It was then when he started to think of a plan. He was going to try to go back to Britain. Even failure seemed better to him than staying there.

It wasn't long before he discovered a spy unit that the new Kaiba in charge was developing to keep an eye on the rest of the world. One division merged with society to spy on the Japanese public, and the other was to travel to other countries and spy on KaibaCorp's competition, which was quickly growing and spreading throughout the world. He applied, and due to his new identity, was able to join with only a few background checks. His first mission was to go undercover in Britain, where his two biggest competitors recently settled in. He was going home.

The men now beside him were also dressed more casually in order to fit into a different society. Most of them were foreign like him, as well. None of them spoke to one another, which wasn't unordinary. This mission would be one man for himself, and most higher-ranked employees only spoke to one another when the situation called for it. Bakura didn't mind it too much; he was used to it by now, and he chose to keep to himself for the most part, anyways. He tilted his head back and sunk into his chair. It was going to be a long flight.

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><p>Bakura woke up again along with a few of the others who fell asleep on the long journey as the pilot informed them of their landing. Bakura quickly looked out the window to see his homeland for the first time in years. As they came closer and he could see more, he began to shake his head slightly. That couldn't be Britain; there had to be some sort of mistake. Had he been reassigned without knowing about it first? The very first thing he could see clearly was a large black flag with a pink flower proudly sitting in the middle. As the plane hit the runway and the doors opened, he heard a soft, female voice come on the overhead speakers.<p>

"Welcome, and enjoy your stay with SchröderCorp," she said in German. He understood the phrase clearly; as part of his training, he was forced to become fluent in German, but he never knew why until that moment. Only one phrase kept swimming though his mind, somehow choking all of the others out: _This can't be Britain._ The other men stood and exited the plane and left the base, quickly merging in with the crowd outside. They didn't seem phased in the slightest and began speaking German to the people as if it was their first language. Bakura also stepped into the public and looked around, still shocked by his surroundings.

This wasn't his home anymore.

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><p>Bakura tried to adapt to the foreign culture as best as he could. As he walked around what was formerly London, he couldn't help but to think of when his parents took him and his sister there as children. Things were so different there since the last time he was there. Since the apparent takeover of Great Britain by SchröderCorp, the towns and cities he once knew were now covered in those same black and pink logos and English had turned to German. In an attempt to blend in further, he used some of the credits issued to him by KaibaCorp to buy himself a very small apartment. He tried to settle in, and kept telling himself that he would find some answers soon, and at least he wasn't suffering in Japan anymore. It was only then that he had time to realize that despite his confusion, he was much more at ease than he had ever been in the past few years.<p> 


	3. For the Greater Good

Just a heads up- Although it wasn't my first incentive, I seem to be using more of their season 0 personalities, and I will probably continue to do so, because I feel it fits better with the story.

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><p>Anzu couldn't help but to worry about Yuugi more as the days passed, and even though she had barely spoken to him since the big takeover, the thoughts of him were suddenly nagging at her brain again. She wasn't sure of the reason, but something inside told her that something wasn't right. For once, the feeling was something different from the constant feeling of dread she had gotten so used to. It seemed heavier this time, as if something terrible was about to happen. She wasn't sure what happened to him after they lost contact, but something about him changed. He always seemed somewhat distant from the rest of the world, but recently, he seemed even more detached than usual. It was almost as if he had nearly withdrawn into himself entirely, as if something was keeping him from getting out. Perhaps the rise of KaibaCorp had completely drained him.<p>

While walking through the halls, she would see him. Every day, while walking in neat, single file lines to the next class, she would pass him. He took the same route every day; he was so small and easy to spot. She wanted to speak out to him, but was forced to stay silent with her head straight ahead, and only dared to look at him through the corner of her eye. She often wondered if he did the same.

The only time that they were allowed to break away from the horrid lifelessness was during the lunch break. It felt good to move with less restraint, and even though the shackles were still on, the slight looseness gave the illusion of being one step closer to freedom. Most people took advantage of that, but this time, Anzu couldn't pull her mind away from her thoughts and enjoy herself like she usually did. Even though they were next to her, she felt strangely detached from her friends, giving her an empty feeling. It was almost as if worrying about Yuugi had caused her to catch his spell of detachment. She could vaguely recall Miho talking about a boy from one of her classes, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus on her words. She turned her head away from them and rested her head on her hand. A few tables away, she could see Yuugi sitting alone as he always did. He seemed uneasy, and she could see him continuously fiddling with something in his pocket while picking at the food in front of him. Even during their only free time, he was still forced into silence.

She began to take the long route home in hope of getting the chance to talk to him again. She thought that maybe a good conversation would help ease her worries. She knew Yuugi always took that route home, and if she was lucky, she might be able to catch him. She gripped her schoolbooks tightly in her arms for protection. She hated walking through town alone; the dull roads made her feel insecure, along with the constant threat of the Drones catching her for something she wasn't even aware of. As she neared closer and closer to Yuugi's house, she began to doubt her chances of seeing him. Suddenly, she heard a crash, followed by some rustling and hushed speech coming from a nearby alleyway. She knew it was dangerous beyond belief, but she couldn't help but to peak around the corner. She did it slowly, hoping that she would stay unnoticed if she needed to get away quickly. To her surprise, she recognized the people standing there. She stepped into view, but with their backs turned, the others did not notice her.

"Yuugi?" She called out in disbelief. "Jounouchi? Honda?" They frantically turned their heads to look back at her. She had caught them doing something, and she was afraid to find out what it was. She knew it couldn't be anything good, judging by the way Yuugi was standing. He was never good at hiding his emotions.

"A-Anzu?" Yuugi said. His body relaxed a little, but he still seemed tense.

"Dammit, Jounouchi!" Honda grumbled, elbowing Jounouchi hard in the side. "You blew our cover!" He still kept his voice relatively silent, in hopes that they hadn't attracted any other unwanted attention.

"What are you guys-" Anzu started to say, but she was interrupted Jounouchi, who grabbed her and forced her back into the alley with a strong hand placed over her mouth. She made a sound in protest, and Honda shushed her.

"You're going to attract somebody else," Honda said, glaring at her. Jounouchi took his hand away from her mouth, but still kept his firm grip on her arm.

"What is this all about?" Anzu scolded, struggling against Jounouchi. She hushed her voice like they told her to; the last thing she wanted was to get herself and Yuugi into trouble with the Drones.

"We're just taking care of a little handiwork behind the scenes," Honda whispered.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Anzu hissed. Her patience was wearing thin. She didn't like that they were bringing Yuugi down to their level, and she knew people like them were never up to any good. She thrashed her arm back in an attempt to free herself, but Jounouchi's grip was too strong to break free.

"None of your business," Jounouchi grumbled through clenched teeth. Anzu glared at the two troublemakers, as if she could somehow make them go away with her eyes. They obviously weren't going to give her the information that she wanted anytime soon, nor were they just going to let her go free. She glanced over to see Yuugi, who was looking down at the floor. His legs were trembling slightly, and he was trying as hard as he could to hold back from saying anything. Anzu softened her look.

"Yuugi?" She said. The small boy lifted his head and looked into her eyes. If Honda or Jounouchi weren't telling her anything, then maybe Yuugi could. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Honda looked at Anzu before turning his head to Yuugi and nodding his head.

"I have to help," Yuugi said. "They're taking everything away from us."

"The corporation?" Anzu asked, unintentionally raising her voice a little. Jounouchi squeezed her arm and shushed her.

"Do you want them to hear you?" he said.

"Who else has been taking our freedoms away?" Honda said. "Do you want to keep living like this? Something has to be done before this goes too far."

"It already went too far," Jounouchi muttered. Anzu shook her head.

"But if you get caught..." she said.

"We won't get caught," Jounouchi said. "As long as you keep your mouth shut."

"Only if you let go of me," Anzu said. Hesitantly, Jounouchi released his grip, and Anzu wiggled free. She faced Yuugi, and then turned to face everyone.

"I don't like this," she said, shaking her head. "But I agree with you. And for Yuugi's sake, let me help you."

"Help us?" Honda said, and Anzu nodded.

"I'll do anything."


	4. Making Headlines

I'm back! I'm trying to write a lot more now that I have a majority of this story mapped out in more detail. Sorry for such a short chapter, guys. There will be a few more short ones in the future, but I promise more long ones eventually!

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><p>"MORE DEATHS IN WEST"<p>

Bakura slowed his pace as he walked down the street as the morning's headline caught his eye. He stopped in front of the news kiosk alongside a few others, his curiosity getting the best of him. He rarely paid attention to the news outside of what was on his television, but what he did hear was starting to interest him. There certainly was a lot of dangerous activity coming from the west side, and he began to wonder what exactly was going on over there. He stood by one of the unoccupied machines at the kiosk, and with one hand still resting in the pocket of his jacket, he used the other arm to make the transaction and download the news file.

As Ryo sipped the coffee he picked up on his way home, he adjusted his screen and brought up the news file he had purchased. He read over the headline once again, and let his eyes slowly trail down through the text, taking in every word. A group of men had been brutally murdered by their competition on the west side, which was said to be under ultimate control of Pegasus J. Crawford. The story sounded vaguely familiar; in fact, it sounded eerily familiar to the news report he had on for background noise a few days before. Did stuff like this really happen all the time? It seemed as if the side of the country controlled by Industrial Illusions attracted nothing but violence. He cringed at some of the brutal descriptions in the text as he read on, unable to look away. It was beginning to seem very odd to him; he couldn't remember a single story in the news about crime on the East German side. However, he could remember hearing countless times about havoc in any other country, specifically the countries dominated by the other corporations.

His eye got a glimpse of an image of Siegfried von Schröder along the side. Underneath there was the video of a recent press conference regarding the violence occurring so close by. He could only half listen to the man going on about the importance of safety to SchröderCorp. _Propaganda_, Bakura thought. That's what it all had to be. He focused on the video, watching the man speak proudly into the microphones. Is it possible that he could be lying just to keep people in? Was he really lying to all of these people, or was the rest of the world really that violent in comparison? _What could he be hiding_? His words faded in and out as Bakura scanned the rest of the report, hoping that something could help him start to figure things out. Something didn't seem right, and he wanted to find out what. Suddenly, his thoughts were cut short when his eyes locked onto a row of pictures near the bottom. There were four individual photos of each victim next to one another, following some pictures of the crime scene itself. One photo in particular made his mouth go dry. Although he hadn't seen him in years, he had no trouble identifying the man in the picture as his father. His hands shakily set his drink on the table before it could spill into his lap.

He had to find his sister.


	5. Evidence

I'm not particularly happy about how this chapter turned out, especially the end, but don't worry, the other chapters will be much better! Sorry for the shortness again, but the next chapter is going to be a long one. I hope you enjoy!

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><p>Family had always been an important part of Anzu's life, and she always had a deep respect for her parents. She couldn't help but to feel guilty as she silently crept through her home in the middle of the night, long after both of her parents fell asleep. Invading their privacy was one of the last things she would have expected to do, and the fact that she was about to do just that gave her a sick feeling in her stomach. She took another step closer to her father's study as she silently reminded herself that her actions would eventually result in the greater good.<p>

_Only if everything works out as planned_, a voice inside her head whispered. She tried to shake the thought away. They would never get anywhere with that sort of attitude pulling them down. She slid into her father's study and knelt down beside a group of drawers after quietly pulling the door shut. He had accidentally left the monitor on, and an eerie glow lit up the room slightly. She pulled open a drawer, revealing various document chips that were neatly organized and labeled accordingly. As she began to sort through them, she felt another wave of guilt wash over her. Everything inside of her was telling her to stop what she was doing, but she continued to force herself out of her comfort zone. She knew she had to do this eventually; Jounouchi wouldn't let her get away without contributing to the group, especially once he found out about her father's high job position. He gave her specific instructions, and he wouldn't let her go before she completed her tasks. She squinted as she tried to read the finely printed labels in the dim lighting. Finally, she came upon a more suspicious looking file without any sort of label. Deciding she did enough for the night, she grabbed the chip and snuck back into her room, trying to erase the evidence of her presence. Hopefully Jounouchi would be pleased with her findings.

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><p>A cool wind washed over Yuugi as he walked down the street alone, brushing his hair back. He continued to play with the file resting in the pocket of his uniform. Honda had handed it to him as he walked past him in the hall earlier that day, and Jounouchi had later informed him that it was up to him to find out what was on that file. Yuugi hated the pressure, but he knew that there was no way out of it now. He had gotten himself into this mess, and now he would see it to the end, whether it was in his favor or not.<p>

Yuugi opened the door to his grandfather's old shop, and gave the old man a quick hello before he went up to his room. He wanted to get his dirty work done early before he had too much time to worry about it. He pulled the file out of his pocket and quickly inserted it into his monitor after jacking into the system. He pulled out a crumbled piece of paper he found and began to take notes as information filled the screen.

He handed the paper off to Jounouchi the next day. He would inform the others quickly; he had connections with all of them throughout the day. Yuugi knew he would be pleased with the information he found. The unlabeled file contained a lot of information about a new project KaibaCorp was developing, and it would give them an easy chance to take action and get some work done. He felt proud of himself for another job well done. It seemed as if they were getting closer to the end now, and he had been a big part of it all. He sat in his room that night, silently thinking over what could happen in the near future.

He was forced out of his thoughts when a wave of panic suddenly hit him. He felt a presence again, this time urging him towards the window. His breath caught in his chest when he saw a group of shadowed figures outside the building. His heart pounded rapidly as he instantly thought the worst, and his blood ran cold as his fears seemed to come alive. He heard a noise at the door, and he felt his body go numb as a group of men wearing high-ranking uniforms burst through his door. He was unable to move as they dragged him away. He could only stare in disbelief as his family watched him get escorted out of his home.

"I'm... Sorry..." he managed to choke out as he passed his mother and grandfather on the way out. The entire scene seemed almost surreal to him as he moved robotically down the street, being prodded and squeezed by the Drones who caught him. It was all over now, and it was his fault.


	6. Isolation

The update has finally arrived! So sorry about the wait, everybody. I've been extremely busy with schoolwork and writer's block got in the way more than I hoped. But don't worry, the story's not dead!

To make up for the shortness of the previous chapters, this one and the next one is fairly long. Enjoy!

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><p>Orange light filtered through dirty windows of a community center as the sun began to rise early in the morning. Rishid stood uncomfortably in a corner, watching the other members of the community chatting with one another. He was never completely comfortable with leaving his brother Malik home without him there, but it was his turn to attend the weekly community gathering, and he had no other choice. The crowd hushed as two high priests entered the room, each wearing a vast amount of gold along with matching gold-plated gas masks, one of which was made to look similar to Amun-Ra, and the other to Horus. The sound of their heavy breathing could be heard, muffled by the filters of their dropped to their knees to honor them, and soon after, another man in a mask entered the room. His outfit was more extravagant than the first two, and he wore a large headdress that showed off his status as king. He took his place between the priests and issued a greeting to the people before him.<p>

"The age of vengeance is still upon us," he began. His voice was muffled, and it echoed eerily throughout the room. "Although we have tried in vain, the gods still stare relentlessly at our kind, memories of the days they were forgotten still fresh in their heads. We are here to remind you of that day-" he lifted his arms, gesturing to the men on each side of him. "-long ago, when the cries of our forgotten gods could be clearly heard throughout our land of Egypt, angering the great Ra for the last time. It was then that he sent rain of fire upon us, poisoning Geb, and punishing man. Geb's great laughter shook the ground below us as he slowly began to decay, mocking those bathed in the chaos above him. Nut mourned the sacrifice of her beloved brother, and her black tears fell as the impure fled in terror. In their great anger, the gods have become blind with rage, overlooking our people. Yet, we come here to praise the gods for purifying the putrid state of our beloved land of Egypt, and together we accept their punishments with open arms. Since then, we have tried to further purify ourselves in the eyes of the gods, vowing that we would not end up like our poor brothers and sisters in Upper Egypt."

"Alas," he said. "There are still those out there who wish to soil our good name under the gods yet again. I come in front of you today to not only remind you of the gods' great sacrifice, but to also warn you of what is yet to come. A program sent out by our council has not reported back to us, and we are beginning to get concerned." He looked briefly to the side before returning his attention to the crowd."In order to protect ourselves, the council has requested that one household from our family* visits the coordinates where our program is located." He paused, slightly turning his head towards one of the men next to him. "Ishtar," the priest said. Rishid instantly looked up towards the men, giving him his full attention.

"It is your household's turn for the food run," he said. "The council has voted that due to your household's immense success during the last run, it would be best for you to take on this responsibility." Rishid nodded, although he knew the king did not see him. He was ordered to report to the council building soon after for instructions, and the king walked out, followed by the two men by his sides. Soon after, the rest of the people suited up and left to inform their households of the events of the meeting.

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><p>The council building was about a mile away from the center of town, isolated from the rest of the village. It had been somewhat restored, and stuck out against the other rundown buildings near it. The main hallway was decorated with various paintings of each of the Egyptian gods, each portraying a scene from the modern mythology. The deep red carpeting lining the hall was dusty, due to the small amount of crumbling from both the walls and the ceiling, and Rishid kicked up a small amount as he walked. Despite the thin layer of dust, the hall was in much better condition compared to the other homes in the area, and it was obvious that people cared greatly about the state of it. Rishid walked in further, and entered a room that was near the end of the hall.<p>

The king was already seated inside, awaiting his arrival. He was still wearing the mask from before, making his breathing audible throughout the room. Despite the mask, he lacked the outerwear that he had been wearing before, exposing his bare chest and the off-white shendyt that the men in the community often wore. Two priests stood in the back of the room behind him, one man wearing the mask of Anubis, and a woman wearing the mask of Wadjet. They also lacked outerwear, and each wore the traditional clothing representing their gods. Each one had a strong grip on a rod, and stood ready to take action to protect their king if the need arose. Rishid bowed as he stepped in the door.

"You are Ishtar?" The king spoke, and Rishid nodded in response. He motioned for him to enter, and out of respect, Rishid removed the gas mask he was wearing and pulled down his hood. "Ah, Rishid," the king said again. "Come in, sit down, child."He sat across from him at the large conference table.

"Your household is very skilled with foreign affairs," the king said. "The votes from the council were unanimous; we knew that you would be the right people for this job."

"Thank you, sir," Rishid said. "It would be our honor to serve our community." He paused. It seemed too simple to him. There had to be another reason for summoning him there; he could hear it in the pharaoh's voice. He kept his silence, not daring to speak up to his superior. "...But do you think Malik will be able to handle such a task?" The king shifted in his chair.

"Believe me, we thought that through," he said. "We believed it would be in his best interest if he... got some fresh air." Although the mask hid his face, Rishid could still feel the uneasy gaze beneath. He was well aware of the king's horrible lie, and he knew all too well of the sad reality. It had been years since the incident, but Rishid still remembered it clearly. It was Malik's birthday, the anniversary of their mother's death, and their father had since become aware of his only son's blasphemous opinions. Despite Rishid and Isis' pleas and encouragement, Malik refused the society's ways, which infuriated their father. It was on that particular day that Rishid curiously peered into his younger brother's room as he watched his father and the king looming over Malik's bed. A high priest who wore the mask of Set was also present, restraining the small boy, forcing him onto his stomach. His father heated a knife and, as Rishid watched in horror, he began to carve into the soft skin on Malik's back. His screams of pain still echoed in Rishid's head as the intricate details were slowly carved into flesh, one stroke at a time.

As the horrible ritual came to an end, he saw the king pull a small object from his robe. From where he was, it almost looked like a computer chip. Rishid forced himself to turn away as he saw the priest cutting into his brother again, this time to insert the chip. The last thing he saw was Malik collapsing with the last image of the king's unmistakable silhouette engraved into his brain. Rishid left soon after, avoiding getting caught by the king as they left the room. Since that day, Malik seemed different. It had been slight at first, and it wasn't until a year later that the slight changes took full effect. Their father had restricted Malik completely, and refused to let him out of their home for reasons unknown to the children. Isis grew tired of watching her younger brother's life being wasted away, and insisted to Rishid that she would take him outside for one last time. Rishid was unsure about the plan, but still agreed to cover up for them.

Intense pain overwhelmed him as the harsh whip snapped against the skin on his back, cracking loudly through the air. His father was yelling something, but he couldn't focus on what he was saying. Malik and Isis attempted to sneak back in, but their father already knew. He saw through Rishid's plan, and was more than willing to punish him for it. Cowering nearby, the others were forced to watch. Rishid glanced over to his younger siblings, and as he looked to Malik, he saw something different about him. As he faded out of consciousness, his younger brother was no longer staring back at him.

The rest of the community had assumed Malik went crazy. With all of the toxins present in the air, it was a plausible assumption. The bloody corpse of their father was removed that afternoon. Rishid held onto Malik, guarding his little brother from the harsh reality as the figure of Anubis blessed the body as a few masked henchman carried it out. The pharaoh stood nearby, monitoring the situation. Catching a glimpse of the king's eye through his distractive mask, Rishid could feel that there was something there that the others just weren't seeing.

.

"Rishid," the king spoke. "It would be in everyone's best interest if you left as quickly as possible. We wouldn't want anything _bad_ to happen, would we?"

"No sir," Rishid responded. "We will leave whenever you want us to." The king stood.

"Excellent," he said. "I will conduct a ceremony for your departure tonight." He turned to Wadjet and ordered her to spread the word. She simply nodded and exited the room, leading Rishid out with her.

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><p>It was late when the ceremony began. The Ishtar family stood in robes over their protective clothing with only the light of a nearby fire illuminating the masks of the crowd surrounding them. The pharaoh stood next to the Ishtars, his entire high council of priests crowding behind him. Each one held an ankh along with a candle, giving off another small source of light. The crowd got to their knees as the pharaoh initiated the ceremony, each priest blessing them with the power of their specific god. As the ceremony came to a close, each priest extinguished their flames and the crowd departed. The king sent the Ishtar family on their way.<p>

As their cargo ship sailed far enough along the Mediterranean Sea, Malik was the first to rip off his gas mask and take a deep breath of fresh air. It was almost as if he was free.

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><p>* In the society I built, their language evolved two words for "family." One word is used for the community as a whole, and the other is used for actual, individual families. To avoid confusion, I used the term "household" to fill in for the second definition.<p> 


End file.
